The 20 Most Iconic Watches on Film

If there's one accessory we're allowed to obsess over, it's the watch. It's not just about whether it's digital or analogue, or if you prefer a metal to a leather strap, or even if it's a Rolex or Tag. It goes much deeper than that. The timepiece you choose to adorn your wrist with says a lot about your lifestyle choices, how much you spend, possibly your family history and even your personality.

For those reasons, in the fictional world it's just as important to get it right. For Bond, wearing an obscenely flashy wristwatch is arguably as vital to the storyline as his dalliance with a femme fatale. Equally, the added detail of Marty McFly's Casio makes him that much more believable as a teenager of the 80s, and adds to his status as a retro style icon.

Here, we've picked out some of the most memorable watches as seen on screen. Tell us if you think we've missed any out in the comments below.

(Images: Rex Features, All Star)

Batman Begins

The watch: Reverso Grande Taille

The Reverso Jaeger-LeCoultre watch was first worn by Val Kilmer and returned on the wrist of Christian Bale in the Dark Knight trilogy. The model worn in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight was the Reverso Grande Taille (pictured left) but for The Dark Knight Rises the watch makers created a special edition Grande Reverso Ultra Thin Tribute to 1931, complete with the Batman symbol. The most significant feature about Jaeger-LeCoultre is that it has two sides - its steel back can be flipped to protect the face of the watch.

The Big Lebowski

The watch: Casio DW-5900

While bowling may not be associated with high fashion, Walter Sobchak is still a pretty snappy dresser. Not only does he rock the aviators and safari gilet combo, he manages to make a Casio watch look good. Plus, they're now considered vintage collectables.

Collateral

The watch: IWC Vintage Ingenieur Automatic IW3233

Movie rules dictate that if you're a hitman you need to possess a pretty slick wardrobe. Vincent in Collateral is no different. As well as donning a sharp grey suit (inspired by Cary Grant in North by Northwest) his watch is an IWC Vintage Ingenieur Automatic IW3233, which would set you back £4,500 ($7,000).

Drive

The watch: Patek Philippe with brown strap

On the whole Gosling's scorpion jacket usually gets most of the press but the true sartorial hero is the watch. Not only is it important because Gosling plays a getaway driver (punctuality is pretty important) but in the book it's given to the Driver by his father. The watch chosen for the film in the end was a Patek Philippe with a brown leather strap.

Pulp Fiction

The watch: Lancet

This is arguably one of the most important watch scenes in cinematic history. We see the timepiece in a flashback as Butch (Bruce Willis) recounts his father's comrade Captain Koons (Christopher Walken) telling him about his father's death and how his wristwatch had been saved during the war. For the full story watch the clip here.

Back to the Future

The watch: Casio CA53W Twincept Databank

It's about time we included the iconic Casio calculator watch from Back to the Future. So we won't waste another minute or even second rambling on (sorry, not sorry). This is a a Casio CA53W Twincept Databank, it has an 8 digit calculator, 1/100 second stopwatch, auto calendar and alarm, and it's water resistant to a depth of 100 metres. Forever a classic.

Argo

The watch: Rolex Deepsea Sea-Dweller

To clear up any confusion, Ben Affleck didn't purchase this watch from Elizabeth Dukes. Remember, we're talking about Argo (no s). In fact, this couldn't be further away from high street, as this chronograph is made by Rolex. The watch is called the DSSD (Deepsea Sea-Dweller) and is much heftier than their Rolex Submariner (which has appeared in 11 James Bond films).

15 Minutes

The watch: Rolex Cosmograph Daytona

Depending on the model, this classic sports watch can cost from anything between £7,000 and £14,000. While Rolex still produce them (such as the white face stainless steel one worn by Robert DeNiro below), the original batch of the Daytonas are extremely rare. Produced in 1961 to 1987, they had a 'Paul Newman' dial, so-called as Newman wore a version up until his death. They're now considered the holy grail of watches.

American Psycho

The watch: Rolex Datejust

Dogged by various designers not wanting their clothes to be associated with psychopath Bateman's mass murders, many labels put conditions in their contracts that didn't allow their garments to be shown at certain times. For example Cerruti agreed to allow Bale to wear their clothes, but not when he was killing anyone. Similarly Rolex didn't want him wearing one of their timepieces. Consequently, the line "Don't touch the Rolex" from Bret Easton Ellis' book had to be changed.

Blood Diamond

The watch: Breitling Chrono Avenger

In Blood Diamond, Leonardo DiCarpio can clearly be seen wearing a Breitling Chrono Avenger watch. The timepiece has a black dial and solid titanium 44mm case with a brown calf leather strap. Other features, include being shockproof and water-resistant to 300 metres.

Aliens

The watch: Seiko Speedtimer 7A28-7000

This futuristic timepiece is a Giorgio Giugiaro Seiko Speedmaster Chronograph. The designer is better known for his cars, such as the classic Lotus Esprit and De Lorean DMC 12. The watch is unique because of its vertical stopwatch pushers placed inside the asymmetrical case extension. Many of Giugiaro’s other timepieces for Seiko between 1985-86 had asymmetric qualities.

Crazy Stupid Love

The watch: Vintage Rolex Oyster

It's not 100 per cent, but it's rumoured that the watch worn by Gosling in Crazy, Stupid, Love is possibly a vintage oyster face Rolex. The watch itself has a gold case and a brown leather strap, while the face is white.

Ghostbusters

The watch: Seiko M516 'Voice Note' Watch

Apparently, the Seiko Voice Note is worn by three of the Ghostbusters: Ray, Egon and Peter. The main choice for this watch was that it had the Voice Note functionality, which was used, in the film at least, to pick up EVPs (Electronic Voice Phenomena). Created in 1983, it was produced in low numbers and now you can expect to pay around £400 for this collector's item.

Get Carter

The watch: Rolex Datejust

Other than the iconic dark blue trench coat, there's also Michael Caine's timepiece - the classic Rolex Datejust with gold face and brown strap - which also gives this film its stylish edge. It would now set you back around £5,000.

Le Mans

The watch: The Monaco by Swiss Heuer

Made by Swiss Heuer (before the company became Tag Heuer), this timepiece has a dark blue dial with a silver and red tint and is in a steel case. Worn by Steve McQueen in the 1971 film, it was sold for an impressive £504,989 ($799,500) at auction.

L.A. Confidential

The watch: Bulova

Despite the fact that Spacey plays policeman Jack Vincennes, he still has a penchant for the finer things in life, such as his Bulova watch.

The Bourne Legacy

The watch: IWC Pilot's Watch Double Chronograph Edition

This slick chronograph measures 46 mm and is made of black ceramic with titanium pushers, crown and case back. If you were thinking about purchasing a similar watch, bad luck - this particular model is no longer in production.

The Departed

The watch: TAG Heuer Link Quartz Watch

Matt Damon as Agent Colin wears TAG Heuer’s iconic Link. Made from a block of solid steel, it has a scratch resistant sapphire crystal, which is slightly curved. The dial features hand-fitted hour markers that are stainless steel, gold plated or diamond, depending on the model.

2001: Space Odyssey

The watch: Hamilton

Hamilton are well-known for their work in Hollywood and for years they have collaborated with directors, prop masters, costume designers and technical staff to design watches that are the perfect fit for the actors and the script. In the 1960s, producer Stanley Kubrick approached Hamilton to develop a watch and a table clock for his futuristic film 2001: A Space Odyssey. The watch currently sells for approximately £800 $1,250.